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Read the original blog post4.16pm
31 March 2008
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‘The Lovers That Never Were’ is the ninth song on Off The Ground, Paul McCartney’s ninth solo studio album.
It is one of two songs on the album co-written by McCartney and Elvis Costello, the other being ‘Mistress And Maid’. See more…
A few years ago Elvis and I got together to see if we could write a few songs. First of all, just to see if we could stand the sight of each other, or if we annoyed each other too much, I fixed one of his songs up, then he fixed up one of mine. That led us to find that it was quite easy and we enjoyed it, so one day we decided to write one from scratch. The question then was, where do we start? We had the whole musical universe to choose from – a rock and roll song, a love song, what would it be? – so I said, ‘Well, let’s start with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Let’s think of them’, so we started off and ‘The Lovers That Never Were’ came out. It was our first song together.We did a nice but very, very rough demo of it, just Elvis and me, but when we tried to record it properly it didn’t really work out. So I ignored it for Flowers In The Dirt and decided to try it again for this album. And we thought of bringing in a 4/4 bass drum over a 3/4 song – this is for the musicians among you – which just makes it swing. It’s an old rhythm trick but it made it come alive, and we then had a version that we liked.
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5.21pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Easily and always has been one of the highlights of not only ‘Off The Ground ‘ but Paul’s catalogue however since hearing the studio outtake in the ‘Flowers In The Dirt ‘ uber-incredibly-so-super-deluxe set I prefer that. There is a soul-baring vulnerable desperate anger in the performance, no doubt helped by Elvis Costello’s vocal but Paul’s is something you rarely hear him do, which isn’t as produced as the commercially released recording.
The lyrics are incredible and very pertinent
“I have always needed somebody girl
But I close the doors to keep out the world
But for you, i would be here all alone
Locked in a photograph
All of the clocks have run down
Lover beware
We’ll be the lovers that never wereI hang patiently on every word you send
Will we ever be much more than just friends?
As for you, you sit there playing this game
You keep me waiting
When all of the clocks have run down
All over the world
We’ll be the lovers that never wereFor as long as the sun shines in somebody’s eyes
I believe in you baby, so don’t tell me lies
For as long as the trees throw down blossoms and leaves
I know there will be a parade of unpainted dreamsAnd I know dear, how much it’s going to hurt
If you still refuse to get your hands dirty
So you, you must tell me something… I love you
Say goodbye or anything
All of the clocks have run down
Time’s at an end
If we can’t be lovers we’ll never be friendsFor as long as the sun shines in somebody’s eyes
I believe in you baby, so don’t tell me lies
For as long as the trees throw down blossoms and leaves
I know there will be a parade of unpainted dreams”
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
3.00pm
10 August 2011
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@meanmistermustard
I suspect that these are E Costello lyrics, no?:
For as long as the trees throw down blossoms and leaves
I know there will be a parade of unpainted dreams
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
5.28pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Into the Sky with Diamonds said
@meanmistermustardOne of my favorite Macca songs.
Have not seen that super-deluxe set – wonder if there’s a link to the song somewhere.
The first demo is on youtube. The studio band demo, which I meant above not the studio outtake, and studio outtake are not, yet.
Into the Sky with Diamonds said
@meanmistermustardI suspect that these are E Costello lyrics, no?:
For as long as the trees throw down blossoms and leaves
I know there will be a parade of unpainted dreams
I would think so.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
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